Spouse and Child Abuse Associated With Illicit Drug Use in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: There is a high prevalence of substance use disorders, especially among men, in Iran and is associated with a high burden on families. We aimed to systematically review the association between illicit drug use and spouse and child abuse in Iran. Method: Comprehensive terms were used to search three international databases (ISI, Medline, and Scopus) and a national database of Scientific Information Database up to September 2019. The retrieved citations were screened based on the eligibility criteria and then data were extracted, and the risk of bias was assessed by two independent investigators. Data were analyzed using random-effects model to estimate pooled odds ratios (ORs) and the heterogeneity of studies. Results: The search yielded 18 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Illicit substance use in husbands was associated with increased odds of current violence (OR = 3.50; 95% CI [2.09, 5.86]), current physical violence (OR = 5.41; 95% CI [3.50, 8.35]), current psychological violence (OR = 6.20; 95% CI [3.74, 10.30]), and current sexual violence (OR = 7.23; 95% CI [4.06, 12.87]) against spouse. In studies on child abuse, the odds of current physical child abuse by parents who used an illicit substance was 3.88 times (95% CI [1.50, 10.01]) higher than parents who did not use any illicit substance. Conclusion: The results of the current study showed that illicit substance use is associated with an increased risk of spouse and child abuse. This is an important social and health consequence of drug use and should be addressed in all drug control plans.